Jung Ho Kang

From Eddie Mathews to Ron Santo, from Mike Schmidt to Wade Boggs, from Chipper Jones to Adrian Beltre; the hot corner has remained a staple of power and production for centuries. Third basemen made up ten of the top 50 fantasy hitters in 2016, including the 2015 AL and 2016 NL MVP’s. With so many options to choose from, third base is one of, if not, the deepest position in fantasy baseball.

The top 30 third basemen have been grouped into six tiers, with the top and bottom player of each tier profiled below.

Tier 1

Can Kris Bryant be the first to win back to back MVP’s since Miguel Cabrera? (Courtesy of Chicagostylesports.com)

1. Kris Bryant CHC

2. Nolan Arenado COL

3. Josh Donaldson TOR

4. Manny Machado BAL

The reigning NL MVP, Kris Bryant, should be the first third basemen taken in 2017. Bryant was called up in 2015 after mashing 43 home runs at the AA and AAA levels. The minor-league player of the year impressed immediately in the majors, as he hit 26 home runs and drove in 99 RBI’s, resulting in him winning the Rookie of the Year.

The 24-year-old crushed 39 bombs with over 100 runs and RBI’s, which is easily repeatable for many years to come.

Two main reasons why Bryant lands atop this list is because of his steal upside and the lineup in which he plays in. Bryant is athletic for his 6-foot-5 230-pound stature. He stole 13 bases in 2015, and eight in 2016, which gives him a good floor of steals compared to Arenado, Donaldson, and Machado, who combined for nine.

Also, batting ahead of Anthony Rizzo and other elite hitters in the Chicago Cubs offense will give Bryant a great chance to, once again, lead the league in runs. These two factors will help propel him ahead of the other elite third base options.

Manny Machado has all of the potential in the world. After having back to back 35 plus home run and 100 run seasons, he remains in the elite category of third basemen.

Machado has batted primarily third in 2016, and still failed to reach the 100 RBI plateau, which is unnerving, as he is set to primarily bat second in 2017. Don’t get me wrong, Machado still has elite value in the two hole, as he will bat around .300, while being a great source of runs, but if you’re looking for 100 RBI’s, Machado may fall short once again.

Machado also failed to steal a base in 2016, after stealing 20 bags in 2015. This may have been a way to limit the stress on his surgically repaired knee, or may have been due to the fact that the Baltimore Orioles were last in stolen base attempts per game, with .2.

The lack of stolen bases and RBI’s compared to Bryant, Donaldson, and Arenado forces me place Machado at the bottom of tier 1.

Tier 2

Will 2017 be a breakout season for veteran Kyle Seager? (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

5. Kyle Seager SEA

6. Jonathon Villar MIL

7. Adrian Beltre TEX

8. Matt Carpenter STL

9. Todd Frazier CWS

10. Evan Longoria TB

11. Anthony Rendon WAS

12. Justin Turner LAD

Kyle Seager has been a consistent source of 160 hits, .270 average, and 24 home runs per season, but 2017 will be the year he breaks out.

Seager will bat behind Jean Segura, Robinson Cano, and Nelson Cruz, which will give him a great chance to finally surpass the 100 RBI mark.

The 29-year-old’s isolated power numbers have jumped from .185 to .221, showing that he has the potential to increase his power numbers as he continues through his prime years.

According to fantasypros.com, he is being selected as the 59th player off the board, and the 6th third basemen. Although Seager’s value does warrant a pick at this position, there are many other third basemen that offer similar value at a much lesser cost.

Justin Turner exploded onto the scene in 2016, having a career year, batting .275 with 27 home runs, 79 runs, and 90 RBI’s. The 32-year-old inked a 4-year, $64 million deal, that will lock him in as the everyday third basemen and three-hitter of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the near and distant and future.

Turner provides a great floor of value, as he has a career batting average of .282, while managing to have respectable strikeout and walk rates. I believe Turner is more than likely to repeat his power numbers, and could be a sneaky source of 100 RBI’s come 2017.

Tier 3

Jake Lamb is currently being severally overlooked, as he is being selected as the 19th third basemen, and 165th overall player in drafts.

Lamb finished 2016 with a .249 batting average, 29 home runs, and 91 RBI’s. This stat line may seem underwhelming, but Lambs first half of .291, 20 home runs, and 61 RBI’s suggests that there is elite potential here.

The 26-year-old will join a healthy Arizona Diamondbacks lineup that includes A.J. Pollock, Paul Goldschmidt, and David Peralta, which will give him the opportunity to repeat or surpass his career high RBI total. Lamb will end up on the majority of my teams in 2017, as his ADP is much too low for his potential.

The sneaky top 20 MVP candidate in 2016, Jose Ramirez, will be another cheap source of production at third base in 2017. Ramirez is being selected as the 14th third basemen, which I believe is fairly high, although his ADP of 124 gives him significant value.

The 24-year-old will bat in the middle of the Cleveland Indians lineup, and depending on Michael Brantley’s health, may be behind Edwin Encarnacion, Francisco Lindor, and Jason Kipnis, which will give him an incredible opportunity to drive in runs.

Ramirez, a career .275 hitter, is continuously improving, as he batted .312 with 11 home runs, 76 RBI’s, and 22 stolen bases in 2016. Investing in the young Indian will be highly beneficial come 2017.

Tier 4

Miguel Sano is currently being selected as the 128th player, and 15th third basemen in 2017. After hitting 18 home runs in 80 games in 2015, Sano increased his totals to 25 in 116 games in 2016. Miguel Sano’s power potential is juicy, although his 2016 strike out rate of 36% is a huge red flag.

Sano’s strikeout rates have continuously increased, which suggests that Sano may strikeout at an obnoxious rate again in 2017. Sano, who has already had a problem finding a position, may experience serious issues if his bat continues to struggle. I believe Sano is being drafted to high, as you can draft safer options in Maikel Franco or Jake Lamb later in drafts.

Yangervis Solarte is my sleeper of the year. The 29-year-old is primed for a breakout season, as he will have an everyday role for the first time in his career. He totaled 15 home runs and 71 RBI’s in just 109 games, which would have put him on pace for 22 home runs and 105 RBI’s.

Solarte will be the starting third basemen and cleanup hitter for the San Diego Padres in 2017. This will give him plenty of opportunity for RBI’s and runs, as this young Padres lineup could surprise people.

The ascension of young studs Wil Myers, Hunter Renfroe, and Manny Margot, can immensely improve the Friars underwhelming offense, which will positively impact Solarte’s stats.

His ADP of 319 makes him the 32nd third basemen taken off the board, which means he is currently going undrafted in majority of leagues. Solarte will make an incredible late round pick if you miss early on a third basemen.

Tier 5

Nick Castellanos’ fractured hand held him back in 2016, so will he improve in 2017? (Courtesy MLive.com)

22. Nick Castellanos DET

23. Mike Moustakas KAN

24. Adonis Garcia ATL

25. Eugenio Suarez CIN

26. Pablo Sandoval BOS

27. Travis Shaw MIL

28. Martin Prado MIA

29. Danny Valencia SEA

30. Yunel Escobar LAA

Nick Castellanos had his 2016 cut short due to a fractured left hand, although in 110 games, he managed to hit 18 home runs, while scoring 54 runs, and driving in 58 RBI’s. The Tigers six-hitter remains a solid source of runs and RBI’s while sporting a respectable career average of .265.

Castellanos is very safe option for later in the draft, and if he continues to progress, could be a top 15 third basemen. His current ADP of 239 makes his the 25th third basemen selected, which would be a price well worth paying.

Yunel Escobar has quietly been a solid fantasy producer his entire career, as he has a career batting average of .283, and has batted .314 and .304 in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Escobar hasn’t managed to play over 140 games since 2013, but if he can make that happen in 2017, he will be a great fantasy asset.

The 34-year-old will bat leadoff for the Mike Trout lead Los Angeles Angels. The talent behind him along with his great batting average gives him a chance to be an above average run scorer in 2017.

His ADP of 366 makes him the 37th third basemen being selected, which in my mind is astronomical. He will go undrafted in almost all leagues, although he offers great value in deeper leagues with large rosters.

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The NL Central is holding steady so far, with the teams still in the same spot in the standings as they were a week ago.

The Chicago Cubs maintain one of the best records in baseball. The Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals are lurking around .500 and the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers are staying in it.

There were plenty of story lines in week three for the Central including a special performance on the mound from perhaps the best pitcher in all of baseball. Let’s dive right into it and take a look at how each team fared this week.

Chicago Cubs: 14-5, 1st place in the NL Central (6-1 last week)

This just in, the Cubs and Jake Arrieta are really good. Over the past week the Cubbies swept their arch rival Cardinals in a 3 game set and took 3 of 4 from the Reds.

The 6-1 week improved what was already one of the best records in all of baseball coming into the week, and helped them stretch out a 4 game divisional lead in the early going.

Intriguing stat line of the week: Jake Arrieta’s no-hitter, 9.0 innings, 0 H’s, 0 R’s, 4 BB’s, and 6 SO’s. This was a pretty easy one. No-hitters only come around so often and Arrieta took care of the Reds with ease on Thursday while seeing his teammates give him 16 runs of support.

Player to watch: Jake Arrieta. Spotlighting the same player twice in this recap may be overkill, but, Arrieta’s historic start deserves it. Now with a 0.87 ERA on the young season, Arrieta is starting to look like the best pitcher in all of baseball. Clayton Kershaw might have something to say about that, but if Arrieta continues this trend he started in the 2nd half of last season, he may just have one of the best seasons by a starting pitcher ever.

St. Louis Cardinals: 10-8, 2nd place in the NL Central (2-4 last week)

The Cardinals ran into a freight train in the Cubs to start the week, getting swept in a 3 game set, before taking 2 of 3 from the San Diego Padres to cap off the week.

With the win over the weekend the Cardinals were able to finish the week above .500 and maintain their 2nd place status in the division.

Intriguing stat line of the week: Adam Wainwright 6.0 innings, 7 H’s, 3 ER’s, 1 BB, 2 SO’s. Coming off an Achilles injury last season, Wainwright is off to a tough start to the season. His quality start against the San Diego Padres is an improvement upon what he had done prior, but, it’s still not particularly impressive. If Wainwright can return to pre-injury form for the Red Birds it would be huge, it doesn’t look like he is there quite yet though.

Player to Watch: Jedd Gyorko. Gyorko once looked like a future star with the Padres, blasting 23 HR’s in his rookie season in 2013. Since then it has been mostly disappointment for the young infielder. Already with four HR’s on the young season to go with a stellar .289 batting average and .999 OPS, Gyorko may force his way into everyday at-bats if Kolten Wong continues to struggle at second base for the Cardinals.

Pittsburgh Pirates 10-9, 3rd place in the NL Central, (3-3 last week)

The Pirates failed to capitalize on an opportunity to beat up on the subpar San Diego Padres, losing 2 of 3 to them to start the week. They managed to bounce back over the weekend to take 2 of 3 from the D-Backs and remain over .500.

The Pirates have avoided the same slow start they had last season, and are set up in good position to make a run at some point and be right in playoff contention.

Intriguing stat line of the week: Jordy Mercer. 3 for 4, 1 HR, RBI’s, 1 BB, 2 R’s. Mercer has been given the opportunity to bat leadoff against lefties and he is making the most of his early season opportunities. His great game on Friday was a good showing that justified the Pirates batting him leadoff against lefties.

Player to Watch: Jung Ho Kang. After an impressive rookie season cut short by a gruesome injury, Kang is on the road to recovery playing in rehab games with AAA Indianapolis. Provided there aren’t any setbacks, Kang should rejoin the Pirates this week and presumably take David Freese’s spot in the lineup.

Cincinnati Reds9-10, 4th place in the NL Central, (3-4 last week)

The Reds continue to lurk at the bottom of the division, keeping themselves within striking distance. They managed to take 2 of 3 from the Rockies to start the week. They even managed to snag 1 game in the 4 game set against the Cubs despite being outscored by a whopping 24 runs in the series.

Facing the Mets and Pirates in 3 game sets on the road this upcoming week will be a good test for the Reds. If they go 3-3 against these playoff teams from 2015, it might be time to start taking the Reds more seriously.

Intriguing stat line of the week: Robert Stephenson 7.0 innings, 3 H’s, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO’s. In just his second big league start Stephenson dominated a power filled Rockies lineup. The 23 year-old rookie is looking solid so far through his first 2 big league starts and should be considered a part of the wave of young pitching talent set to contribute to the Reds in 2016.

Player to Watch: Eugenio Suarez. Suarez continues to look like one of the top breakout players in all of baseball in 2016. He’s currently slashing .300/.355/.529 to go along with five HR’s and three SB’s. Suarez makes the Reds lineup look much better if he can continue to be a productive bat.

Milwaukee Brewers 8-11, 5th place in the NL Central, (3-4 last week)

After splitting a four-game home and home series against an interleague opponent in the Minnesota Twins, the Brewers missed a chance to capitalize and have a winning week by losing a 3 game set to the Philadelphia Phillies.

They remain within striking distance, and despite the possibility of a full on rebuild later on in the season, the Brewers are doing enough currently to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Intriguing stat line of the week: Jeremy Jeffress 1.0 inning, 3 hits, 3 ER’s, 0 BB’s, 0 K’s. Tapped as the Brewers closer after an injury to Will Smith toward the end of Spring Training, Jeffress has been mostly fine so far. He came in on Saturday to hold a deficit at 1 for the bottom of the 9th and instead surrendered a 3-run HR to Odubel Herrera. The Brewers need Jeffress at the back end of the ‘Pen so hopefully this was just a mulligan of an outing

Player to Watch: Chris Carter. Carter is somehow managing to slash .295/.361/.689 with five HR’s and nine doubles to start the season. The power numbers aren’t surprising, but, the batting average is as he’s coming off a season where he hit below .200. His BABIP of .333 is a little high, but, nothing astronomical. So maybe Carter can continue to provide power while also managing to hit something more respectable like .240.